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Mayor proclaims Parks and Recreation Month; council hears summer event reports and staff updates
Summary
Mayor Dr. Mona Becker proclaimed July as Parks and Recreation Month and thanked staff for recent festivals. The council heard department reports, learned the housing office submitted the city's five‑year HUD plan and that rental licensing renewals have exceeded 600 units, and introduced Leslie Bridal as the new public works director.
Mayor Dr. Mona Becker opened the meeting by proclaiming July as Parks and Recreation Month and praised the role parks play in community health and economic development. The proclamation recognized the national designation and the council adopted a city proclamation for July 2026.
Becker highlighted recent community events — including a Declaration of Independence reading, a historic society ribbon cutting, the Bridal Festival, Western Maryland Pride Festival and the Toast to Italy — and thanked the Westminster Police Department and staff for event support. "Gestures such as these go such a long way in the LGBTQ community," the mayor said, noting officers who posed for photos with festival attendees.
Recreation and parks staff reported a busy summer schedule with summer camp and daily pool operations, and announced a ribbon cutting for the Durban House scheduled for the 28th. Staff credited events with providing a notable economic boost to downtown businesses: one business owner told staff the Taste of Italy produced the single biggest sales day in that firm's 12‑year history.
The council introduced Leslie Bridal as the city's new public works director; Bridal, who the council said has decades of experience and has been with the city for about three weeks, thanked staff and reported the downtown clock tower is not currently operating and will be assessed in the next 24–48 hours.
Housing staff reported the city's five‑year plan has been submitted to HUD and said rental licensing renewals are progressing well, with over 600 units renewed or paid as of the morning of the meeting. The housing representative stated the online convenience fee had not deterred online payments.
The meeting closed department updates with a reminder of upcoming events and continuing staff work on capital projects and recruitment; no formal actions were taken on these reports.
